This invention relates to food processors, and more particularly to protective guide, alignment blocking apparatus for such machines in which an activator element must be properly aligned in order to be inserted into a keyway configured slot enbling the operation of the food processor and preventing its operation when the cover is tilted, misaligned or improperly inserted on the bowl for protecting the user as well as the machine from accidental actuation when the components of the food processor are not properly in place.
The food processors of the type in which the present invention is applicable have a working bowl with tool mounting means projecting upwardly in the bowl on which various selected rotary food processing tools can be mounted to be driven for performing various food processing operations in accordance with the desires of the user. A removable cover is secured over the top of the bowl during use and includes a feed tube having a mouth that opens downwardly through the cover into the top of the bowl. The food items to be processed are placed in this feed tube and are then manually pushed down through the feed tube into the bowl by means of a removable food pusher which is adapted to slide down in the manner of a plunger through the feed tube.
Such a food processor is shown in and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,892,365--Verdun. This patent also discloses a safety feature in providing a vertical movable rod housed in a semicylindrical boss which extends vertically the height of the bowl and encloses the operating rod which is aligned with and is adapted to actuate an on/off switch for controlling the motor. The operating rod is spring biased upwardly to prevent depressing the motor switch unless the detachable cover is positioned on the working bowl. A cam is mounted on the rim of the cover which is adapted to depress the top end of the operating rod to actuate the motor switch. This motor switch is not intended to be actuated unless the cover is properly positioned on the bowl.
More recently there has been commercially offered for sale a food processor in which such a cam is mounted on an outer sleeve which fits down over the feed tube on the cover. Thus, the operating rod is not actuated unless the cover is properly positioned on the bowl and the outer sleeve is also fitted down over the feed tube.